To Live and Let Go
by Kat Khaos
Summary: The Faye were once a great kingdom, but when King Oberon fell at the hands of Sauron during the Second Age, they lost all hope and disappeared. Now over 3000 years later Sauron has returned, and it is up to Gandalf to convince the Faye to join the war once again. The fate of the Faye rests within princess Talia's hands. Can she learn to live and let go? And maybe find love?
1. Wasted Youth

**_To Live And Let Go_**

_**Part One**_: _Ice_

_Chapter 1_

_Wasted Youth_

It was but another stark day in the amicable kingdom of the Faye. Well, as stark as one could get in the glowing city of Oras Lumia. One could all but be in awe at the white buildings shaped from white oak trees and gasp at the buzzing yellow lights that floated like musical notes. The leaves were not of the deep green of simplicity, but of soft pink flowers that smelled of the sweetest fragrance. But for the quaint princess with fiery curls and deep purple eyes, she had grown all but too accustomed to the dazzling city that was mere dreamy folklore in the minds of humans.

The hard headed princess had grown accustomed to the delicate nature of the capital deep within the Fangorn Forest. She had memorized every crack, every petal, and every tree surrounding the beautiful capital, for she hadn't stepped foot outside the sanctuary since she was born ten summers ago. The young princess spent her entire life surrounded by the soft pink petals, never seeing the supposedly cliche green leaves that Middle Earth was bathed in. Her parents chided her about the dangers of the world and fretted over their daughter constantly. But she did not care, all the princess wanted to do was see the beauties and horrors of the world her father had told her of. Many of it seemed like a made up fairy tale, but she was a smart girl who knew her father all too well. King Oberon, was what the people called him. He was an honest king, loved by all his people.

He had been the one to pick out the name for the flushed red headed newborn that had emerged from her mothers womb.

_Talia_

It was an exotic fairy name that rolled off ones tongue sweetly. It fit her perfectly whenever she was being a well-mannered princess, and not lashing her tongue out to say such brute things when only being in the presence of her family. Her temper was as short as the color of her hair, and her mother, Queen Titania, often scolded her for her unladylike tongue. But as always Talia did not care.

The large wooden doors to the library opening distracted Talia from glaring out the window. "_Seler_?"

Talia turned her petite form to the midnight haired boy who peaked his tiny five year old head through the door. Her eyes immediately softened at the sight of his large saucers staring up at her spot in the leather chair curiously. "Yes, _mi_ _tolor_?"

"Mother says dinner is ready."

Getting up from her spot in the red chair, Talia set down the book she had long forgotten about and approached her younger sibling. Taking his hand, she allowed his shorter figure to pull her along the long hallways that many Faye still got lost in. But of course, the princess had memorized every twist and turn since her birth, ten summers ago.

Talia could not help but watch her brother in amusement as his short legs fiercely hit the ground in rushed movements in eagerness only a boy as young as he could display. He was the only one she wouldn't yell at and push around, even though that was usually the role of the older sibling. Albeit she was fond of her younger brother like no other, it wasn't always that way.

Talia could remember the day that the King and Queen announced their pregnancy to the princess. At that time she was the same age as her brother. While there was joy in her parents eyes, it was nothing compared to what Talia felt at that moment. Anger. The King and Queen had been quite taken aback at their daughters unsuspected reaction. She demanded her mother to make the baby go away, but when Titania simply told her that she was being ridiculous and Oberon laughed at her preposterous demand, the fiery redhead had simply had enough. She ran out of the room screaming her head off, claiming "_that thing is no relative of mine_!". And so for many days Talia made if her mission to boycott the rulers of the Faye until they listened to her.

When Oberon finally cornered his daughter to talk, the hard headed ginger simply kicked him in the shin and claimed him to be a peasant not worth her time, and that if that thing was born, there was absolutely no way she would let them be apart of her family anymore. Of cause no one took the girls threats seriously. The most magic Talia was able to master at that time was flinging weak doses of fire magic that popped on impact. It was nothing more than a technique the Unseelie Court used to scare humans right out of their trousers. Besides, when a Faye conceives, the pregnancy lasted an entire twelve moons. Titania chided that her unladylike daughter would have plenty of time to adjust.

But of cause, when it came to the hotheaded princess, nothing was ever in black and white. The entire year she was relentless in her attempt to convince her parents that they should get rid of the baby, even when her mother was swollen round. And when the last few days came before her younger sibling emerged into Middle Earth, Talia was frantic in her endeavor to make sure the baby was never born. The ginger went as far as promising her mother that she'd be a complete lady for the rest of her immortal life, though Titania calmly stated that it was impossible to make the baby go away.

When the day finally came, it was during another one of the princesse's attempts to convince her mother how much of a dolt she was for opposing her. Of cause Titania had grown accustomed to her daughters routine of talking her ear off about how she couldn't possibly have another child, but the Queen was an extremely patient woman, and after over three thousand summers of living, her daughters constant blabbering barely phased the beautiful raven haired woman with fair skin. Albeit Talia had inherited her pale complex from her mother, she had definitely inherited her fathers hair and eyes.

Said eyes widened when her mother began to double over in pain, holding her stomach. By the time the maids rushed her to her room, Talia was as white as paper. The Healers came almost immediately, shooing the young princess away and shutting the door in her face. After the shock registered in her brain, Talia began to do what she hated most, crying. She cried for her mother like no other, terrified that those awful words she spoke would be her last. Even when Oberon arrived, she didn't hide her face in shame, she simply cried loudly as her father held her close, consoling her with a soothing hymn.

When Talia finally calmed down enough to form a sentence, she ended up spilling how if another child came into their lives, everyone would forget about her. Talia could definitely not allow that, she had always been the apple Oberon's eye. She was a spoiled princess indeed. But of cause, the King had known this all along. He simply hugged her tighter and promised "_you'll always be my number one, no matter what."_

When the time came to meet the newborn that threatened Talia's very existence, she was ready to point an accusing finger at it and declare it her nemesis. When Titania asked her daughter if she wanted to hold it, Talia sputtered and attempted to say no, but curiosity got the best of her. She took her nemesis in her tiny arms and was ready to glower at it's face, but as soon as she spotted the blue orbs staring up at her curiously, all the pent up hatred and anger vanished. He was gorgeous with his mothers hair and eyes, but he definitely had more color to his flushed pink skin than Talia would ever have. His tiny puckered lips formed an 'o' shape as he let out a yawn.

Talia suddenly felt very unintelligible. She hadn't even bothered to find out it's gender. As if reading her mind, Titania softly announced that it was actually a he. As Oberon and Titania so began to bicker over choosing a name, Talia held her new brother close, studying every plane on his wrinkled skin. She held a defenseless form of life in her arms. His life was in her hands, and at that moment, Talia wanted nothing more than to protect him.

_Kalan_.

That was the name she had chose, and the name that the King and Queen wholeheartedly agreed on.

Talia was immediately brought back to the present as the smell of delicious food wafted into the hallways. When they finally reached the dining hall, the King and Queen were already seated at the ridiculously long table adorned with various meats and vegetables. Talia smiled widely as she sat herself in one of the seats closer to her parents. One of the many things she enjoyed about being royalty was the delicious delicacies provided. She wasted no time digging in while Titania scolded her for not eating like a proper lady.

Dinner was uneventful, and as normal as eating with family could be for a fairy. Mostly it was Kalan talking excitedly about his childlike inventions as if he was some great philosopher, as the King and Queen smiled and nodded, telling him that he was definitely the greatest prince in the entire universe. Eventually, Talia could hold it in no longer.

"Why can't I leave Oras Lumia?"

"You know why, little one. The world is a dangerous place." Oberon answered smoothly, for Talia had asked the same question many times before. But this time, she would not leave it be.

"So what? How will I ever be able to learn anything if you keep me imprisoned in here for the rest of my life!"

"Talia," Titania warned calmly.

Standing up, the princess slammed her hands down on the table. "No! I am not a dolt! Quit treating me like I know nothing!" She screamed the last part. With watery eyes, Talia turned her head towards her parents, accusation written all over her face. "I just want to see the world!"

"And you will, after the Witch King is defeated," Oberon stated evenly, taking a sip from his red wine. "I will be mobilizing the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. We will be joining the elves and humans tomorrow. We are going to strike that necromancer in his territory. If we win-

"That's what you keep saying!" Talia shouted loudly. "You use the same excuse every time Father, and I am tired of your dishonesty. I hope you never come back!" She screamed in pure rage as she ran from the room.

But of course, Talia didn't mean the terrible words she spoke to her beloved father. She just wanted nothing more but for him to understand. He was wise and always found the time to listen to his daughters words, even though he was quite busy ruling a kingdom and warring against the wicked Necromancer. The war had been going on long before the princess was born.

You are to be the successor to the throne.

They'd tell her. Unlike the humans woman weren't looked down upon and were able to rule just as well as any male could. The female Faye were even sent to war along their fellow counterparts. The Faye were as wise as he elves for they too had been around since the First Age of Middle Earth, and were distant relatives of the elves. They had the tall grace of their cousins, and the pointed ears. But the Faye excelled in the power of dark magic like no other.

The King and Queen constantly chided Talia about how naturally talented she was in the area of magic, and how she would definitely excel in the arts of the Dark. Talia was a quick learner, but her hot headed nature tended to make the magic she formed explode, which always ended in unladylike words coming out of her mouth. She was told that she had much potential and would do a lot better if she reigned in her emotions, but Talia simply cursed her teacher, saying that he was unfit to teach her despite being one of the best Mages in the kingdom. Talia was the very definition of unreasonable.

When Oberon gathered the Faye the next morning to set off, Talia was not there to bid him farewell. Being the unreasonable person she was, she was still livid at his poor excuses to keep her inside the great city in the heart of Fangorn. She silently promised herself that she would definitely leave soon. Little did Talia know, soon would come, but she would not be leaving the way she had planned.

As Talia watched her father disappear into the Forest on his elegant golden stallion with the great Faye army, it was the last time she ever saw his chin length golden locks and kind eyes. Talia would never see her father again.

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_Forgive me if this chapter seems too short, but I worked my hardest at it and I hope you all find it worth your time to review. I know many things were confusing, but all will be revealed in time._

_Seler- sister_

_mi tolor- little brother_

_Oras Lumia- capital of the Faye kingdom, deep within Fangorn._


	2. Mor Taure

_Hello, dear readers. Thank you for alerting, faving, and reviewing this story. Though I was extremely disappointed to find that I only had two reviews :( I worked really hard on this chapter, with it being near 4000 words, and I hope you enjoy. To clear up any confusion, the Faye are my creation, as are any of the other things that are not from LOTR in this story. This is not AU or a crossover. _

_enjoy~_

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**_Chapter 2_**

_Mor Taure_

_3021 years later_

_The Third Age_

It had been two months since everyone had offered their protection to the Ring Bearer named Frodo Baggins. Two months since two men, an elf, a dwarf, four hobbits, and one of the Great Wizards had pledged their lives upon a middle aged hobbit who had never even left the Shire until Bilbo passed the burden of the ring unto him. But for a big footed hobbit who spent his entire life within the oblivious lands of his people, Mr. Baggins was a brave man, ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of a world he knew nothing about.

Boromir, the most prone to corruption of the ring out of the company, stopped suddenly in his tracks. "Gandalf, where are you leading us? Shan't we be heading towards the accursed mountains of Mordor?"

Gandalf eyed him. "Well of course we are, you fool."

Boromir took a step forward, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "From Holland we are supposed to continue our travel south, but you have us heading so far west that I can barely see the Misty Mountains. What treacherous plot is this?"

This earned an amused chuckle from the wizard. "Treacherous? I think not! We are simply taking a detour of sorts. There is something we must do before we enter Moria."

"Where are we going?" Mary asked with his big round eyes staring curiously up at the old wizard.

"We are about to enter the lands of Minhiriath. From there we will make our way to Eryn Vorn."

But of cause most of the Fellowship didn't know exactly what Gandalf as talking about, for Minhiriath was a large region that bordered Belegaer (the Great Sea) and no man had ever been heard sailing the ocean for some distant land that didn't exist. It wasn't like they could go to Valinor, unless they were elves. Even in Legolas's two thousand years of life, he had never bothered to travel to Minhiriath, for it was such a great distance from Mirkwood, and he was told that there was nothing but flat plains and small settlements. It was a seemingly boring country that no one took interest in, and the fishing ports the country had were too great of a distance for anyone outside of Minhiriath to bother traveling to. Not to mention the fact that it was scarred from over 5000 years of felling, burning and war. Most of its inhabitants had fled, and the ones that stayed despised those who weren't Minhiriathrim.

This all led them to question Gandalf's intent to travel to such a broken land. For what could possibly be in such a desolate place cut off from the rest of Middle Earth? He answered with a simple "allies", leaving the rest of the Fellowship completely baffled. Was the great Gandalf really going to call on the settlements of farmers for war? That couldn't possibly be the reason. Could it? Either way, it didn't take long for everyone to purse their lips, holding back barrages of questions. They weren't complete dolts, they knew that Gandalf wouldn't give them a direct answer. All they could do was trust in his wisdom and follow him, for the wizard would never lead them so far astray without good reason. Especially to Eryn Vorn, a woodland that once vastly covered north-western Middle Earth until the greed of men and rage of Sauron burned almost all of it down during the Second Age.

"But I thought it was all burnt down by the war in Eriador?" Boromir was quick to voice the question spiraling in the heads of the others.

"Not quite my friend," he answered with a wink as he dug his staff into the ground, beginning his ascent up the large hill. "South West of Minhiriath, the once great forest now is the barrier between Belegaer and the Minhiriathrim people. There is an old friend there we must meet before setting off on our journey." He reached the top of the hill and stopped, causing Pippin to run into him, panting slightly at the lengthy ascension.

"Gandalf, why did you-

He stopped, as he gazed at the flat land before him. Green and yellow grass covered the plains with barely a tree in sight. In the distance he could see the smoke from the chimney's of farmers.

"There's really nothing here," Aragorn mumbled.

"It'll take another month to reach Eryn Vorn," Gandalf announced. This earned angry curses from Boromir, and ceaseless complaints from the pitiful Gimli.

"These allies you speak of better be well worth it if they are to set us back by a month!" He hissed, stomping past the wizard and down the hill. "Are you coming or not? By the time you all start moving I'll be growing grey hairs!"

This instantly stirred the Fellowship into motion. There was no way any of them would let Boromir mock them. They all had their pride as men after all. When Gandalf had said it would take a month, the men had settled for nothing more than a week, failing to realize that when Gandalf had claimed Eryn Vorn to be at the edge of Minhiriath, he was being quite literal. If it was Legolas alone, he would most definitely be able to reach the forest ahead of schedule with all his elf speed and stamina, but he was in the company of men, hobbits, and a dwarf who moved as slow as a slug. Not to mention the fact that they lacked the advantage of horseback.

"Why don't we just steal a couple of em' horses from the farmers?" Came Gimli's senseless suggestion. He spoke between labored breaths.

Gandalf was quick to reject the idea. "Don't be mindless. We are here to save Middle Earth, not hurt the people who barely survived the brutality of the past 5000 years brought unto their land."

And so the Fellowship continued their journey for the day with no more complaints about where they were headed, except for Gimli's constant grumbling about how his legs were about to fall off any day.

One could see the drastic effects the brutal 5000 years had on the land of Minhiriath. The land had no variation of structure. There was nothing to make the men gasp in amazement. Not a single thing caught their eye, and for many days there was no sign of human life. It was as if nature had reclaimed it's land from man. The lack of trees further proved that Sauron and the race of men had seemingly annihilated the once great forest. Not one of them could picture the land being covered in tall, green trees.

The hair on the back of Legolas's neck rose. It wasn't like Minhiriath was eerie or anything of the sorts. It wasn't like they were stepping foot in Mordor, but the lack of living creatures and the songless air gave the elf prince a sense of foreboding. His ears and eyes were on high alert for danger, picking up any change of the wind and minuscule movement in the distance. The night times only served to heighten Legolas's anxiety. They camped near trees when they were able to, but mostly it was in the open where there was no place to hide if the orcs found them and attacked. It was those nights that Legolas's mind refused to let him sleep. Even when Aragorn firmly ordered him to bed to take watch, Legolas still lay awake on the ground; for the elves senses were never wrong.

The only ones who were seemingly not at all disturbed by the stillness of Minhiriath was the hobbits, for they had the protection of strong men among them. If Aragorn kept smiling and assuring them that everything was perfectly fine, then the hobbits were naive enough to believe him. Aragorn was a great Ranger and heir to the throne of Gondor after all.

"Right now you are probably thinking that this land couldn't possibly be this silent." Gandalf easily voiced the elf prince's thoughts. He chuckled, "but you're wrong. It has been this way since after Sauron burned down Eryn Vorn. Although there are farmers and such, they are spread far and wide. We probably won't encounter any, and even if we do..." He trailed off, earning him demanding stares from all pairs of eyes. "Well, let's just say that the people of this land don't take so well to strangers."

Boromir snorted. "It wasn't like we burned down their forest."

"Yea, but no one came to help either. Not one kingdom bothered to do anything as Sauron plundered and burned the once prosperous people. No one came to help them as the Minhiriathrim King was slaughtered. To the people of these lands we are all just as evil as Sauron for standing around and doing nothing."

A silent understanding spread amongst the Fellowship. They would all have to keep a low profile, and if any other humans were started they were to avoid them at all cost.

On the tenth night the Fellowship was lucky enough to come across some sort of differentiation in the land. It was a mound of boulders set in a crescent like pattern. Even after Gandalf had assured

Legolas that no evil would come upon them in Minhiriath, the elf prince had still been on edge. For up until now was relieved of his duty of pretending to sleep just to sate Aragorn. Large boulders provided much cover for them.

The night was chilly, and with the land being so flat the wind blew freely through it with hardly any obstacles to buffer it's dance. The hobbits could not help but silently praise their luck, for the cover of of shelter was a rare thing in the land of Minhiriath. The temperature was ominously bipolar. In the day it was bordering sweltering hot, but dropped to teeth chattering almost as soon as the sun set over the horizon- well at least it was for the hobbits.

Pippin sniffled at the tingling of moistness in his nose, scooting closer to Merry as he suppressed another shiver. The fire Gandalf had to start because there was no wood around to start any with, caressed the faces of all who sat around it, but the cold lingered just outside the flames reach, it's hands ready to strike as soon as the flames dimmed even a smudge. This only added the the sense of foreboding that Legolas felt, despite Gandalf's reassurances.

Legolas would constantly catch the old wizards eyeing him. Even if it was for a brief moment and he was trying to be meticulous about it, nothing could escape the eye of an elf. The prince knew very well that Gandalf was hiding something of importance. But the land of Minhiriath was hiding something as well, which only arose the elf's suspicion even more. He constantly found himself wondering how the two secrets were connected, but even his elven brain came up short. There was no pieces to fit, for the lack of clues was as barren as the land itself.

Legolas eyed Aragorn, knowingly. There was no way that Aragorn was as naive as the hobbits, blind as Gimli, and thick headed as the temperamental Boromir. The blonde prince suspected that Aragorn had almost the exact same thoughts as he did himself. If his guess was correct, then Aragorn was also thinking that there was no way he was going to be able to get anything out of Gandalf. He was a wise wizard of ten thousand years. There was no way a two thousand year old elf and a human could get the wizard to spill his secret, even with the aid of trickery.

It was the voice of Sam that broke whatever everyone had been left to ponder to for the night. "Gandalf, what exactly happened here? I've never heard of this land before until you spoke of it. I know you said there was 5000 years of war or something..."

"I have," Frodo spoke up. "I mean, my uncle told me what he knew. He didn't say much, other than that a great evil befell these lands."

Gandalf looked over at the Fellowship through squinted eyes. "Bilbo told you correct, Frodo Baggins." Breathing the smoke from his pipe deeply into his lungs, Gandalf begun to tell the story of Minhiriath's downfall. "When Minhiriath first came into existence there were two tribes; the Minhiriathim and the Numenoreans. The Minhiriathim were ancestors to the Numenoreans, but because they spoke mutually unintelligible languages, the Numenoreans looked down upon their relatives as nothing but scum. To make matters worse, the Numenorean 'Ship Kings' began a large scale deforestation. This eventually led to, what what later be called the Minhiriathim Uprising. Of cause their people got tired of being treated as slaves, and their homeland being cut down. When the Minhiriathim people became openly hostile, they began to be persecuted. For a very long time there was an endless feud between the two tribes, but eventually the Minhiriathim fell, and their king was killed. Only those who "fled from Minhiriath into the dark woods of the great Cape of Eryn Vorn" survived.

The Numenoreans victory was short lived, for Sauron came and plundered the land, burning much of the woods that the Numenoreans had yet to cut, and exterminating the people as well. It was century before the Minhiraithim people emerged, but when they did they found that their enemies had been completely destroyed. It was then that they began rebuilding their land."

The hobbits stared with intense wonder at Gandalf, their eyes as big as their hearts. One could practically see their vivid imaginations flitting in their eyes, for hobbits were easy to read.

By the time the Fellowship saw the crest of a town in the distance, it had been two weeks despite the determination by all the men to make it one.

Gandalf turned the company, giving them a smile that appeared to stretch his leathery face. "We have finally arrived in Igba. If Minhiraithim had a capital, this would be be. Two miles beyond Igba lies our destination."

Boromir snorted, "finally. Let's hurry up and get this over with."

"Hold it!" Gandalf hissed. "The people of this village think of elves, dwarves, hobbits to be something of wicked witch craft. Hide your face and cloak your tongue until we have passed."

Everyone immediately obliged, pulling their hoods up to cover their faces.

Once more, the wizard turned to them, his gaze serious. "Do exactly as I say." Without waiting for any reply, the old man was off.

When they entered the village, the first thing that Legolas noticed was that the houses were made up of the earth beneath their feet. Children weren't out playing amongst their friends, but were all hard at work. Even the human woman were working. There wasn't a single person in sight taking doing anything but some form of work. In fact, they all seemed to be almost frantic; speaking in hushed whispers among their peers, then checking to see if anyone had heard.

Every one of the villagers were so intent on doing their jobs that the strange men in cloaks were given nothing more than a passing glance.

It wasn't until that they got to the edge of the other side of the village that they were acknowledged by an old lady with a walking cane, who eyed them curiously. "Best not tah leave tonight, it's tha full moon."

Completely forgetting Gandalf's warning, it was Frodo who opened his mouth, tired of the secrecy. "What happens on the full moon?"

The old woman squinted. "Yer not from 'round is you?" Her accent was thick on her tongue. She obviously had a hard time speaking English. They all immediately stiffened at her observation. Aragorn already had a hand on the hilt of his sword, but the old woman simply waved it away. "Ain't no need tah fret. I'm not like dem younglin's of dis village dat hold da ancient hatred for ya'll outsiders. I've seen more den enough of dat pointless bloodshed. Hatred only breeds more hatred. Yer all lookin' like you ain't got no good nights rest on a soft bed n' ages. Ya'll can take shelter here until dis terrible night comes to an end."

Gandalf was quick to decline. "Thank you for your kind offering ma'am, but we must decline. You see, we are on an important-

"What's so bad about the full moon?" Frodo cut in.

Once again, the old woman squinted her eyes, her vision obviously failing her. "Of course y'all outsiders ain't heard of tha Curse of More Taure."

This time it was Boromir who spoke up. "More Taure?"

The old woman nodded. "Ye. In da common tongue it means Black Forest. It's a forest jus' in da direction yer all headin'. Those who dare enter da forest of Mor Taure are never seen again." The woman was obviously talking about Eryn Vorn. "A great evil plagues dat forest. Der called da Ekwensu and dey have been here for many centuries. Once a month on da full moon dey come outta da forest to take our offerings to dem, in exchange dey have protected our land since Sauron burned it down. We ain't have no invaders since da Ekwensu came." She let out a deep sigh. "But da problem is dat those who refuse offerings to da Ekwensu disappear and der homes are destroyed."

"Have you ever seen the Ekwensu?" Boromir asked yet another question.

The old woman shove her head. "Afraid not, son. We are tah lock ourselves inside by the moons highest peak. None have ever seen the Ekwensu, and da ones dat try to get der eye sockets burned out." She paused. "But sometimes when dey come we here malicious whispering and laughter. Dat alone scares most villagers into never even tryin' tah take a peak."

After that the old woman didn't give any other information that would be of value, but warned them that the Ekwensu lured humans into the woods by singing a beautiful melody.

The entire Fellowship was baffled by the time they left and had no clue what to think. There was no way it was orcs, trolls or goblins. So then what else could it be?

"Gandalf, these aren't the allies you were talking about, were they?" Aragorn voiced the question no one was willing to ask.

The wizard did not stop or turn around acknowledge that he had heard anything. In fact, he began to pick up his pace. "All will be revealed in due time, Aragorn. Be patient, my friend."

And so, as always, Aragorn respected the wise wizards wish.

A little over two hours later and they had finally reached their destination. "Eryn Vorn," Gandalf whispered in relief as he gazed upon it, which was strange for such a notoriously cursed forest. Just as soon as the relief had come, it had been replaced by a look of urgency. "Come, if we are to reach our final destination in a day, we must hurry." Without waiting for an answer, he was engulfed by the darkness of the trees. The Fellowship hesitantly followed suit.

Legolas observed the heavily wooded forest as Gandalf led them. The trees were tall, and the leaves were so thick that barely a ray of light touched the forest floor. The wood was a dark, almost black brown, and the grass was a crunchy yellow due to the lack of sunlight. There were no flowers, nor plants. In fact, the place was so deadly silent that not even a breeze was heard. Eryn Vorn was as still as a corpse.

What thoroughly confused Legolas's senses was the fact that he felt no great evil, but just utter darkness. But how could darkness exist without a source of evil? For once, Legolas found himself doubting his instincts. He was on edge just as much as everyone else, if not, even more.

They travelled for the rest of the night (or what they thought to be night since no sky could be seen amongst the thick foliage) until Gandalf decided it was time to rest.

Not a fire was lit, not a word a word was spoken. Everyone was scared to break the silence. For if they did, they feared the Ekwensu would be upon them, or even Eryn Vorn itself.

Everyone was uncomfortable. Not even the hobbits rested that night.

The sound of the grass lightly crunching had everybody (but Gandalf) with their weapons drawn in a matter of moments. They waited as they squinted in the darkness and watched as a black rabbit appeared before them.

The sight of an animal after going almost a month without seeing another form of life, elicited gasps from the hobbits. They were all running low on food and tired of eating stale bread and hard strips of old cattle jerky.

"Catch it!" Pippin shouted at the same time Legolas screamed 'no'. But it was already too late, for Merry had drawn his slingshot and shot a rock straight at the rabbits skull. The force was enough to kill it almost immediately.

For a moment there was a deafening silence.

And then there was malicious whispers.

"Ready yourselves!" Aragorn shouted as he drew his sword.

"Stand down you fools!" Gandalf barked. "Do not show them even the slightest bit of hostility if you value your lives!"

With painful reluctance everyone withdrew their weapons as fear spiked their hearts. The malicious whispers were in a language that none of the Fellowship recognized. The whispers seemed to be battling, violently conversing with each other, before turning their words onto the Fellowship. They became louder and louder, making it harder for everyone to not draw their weapons. They were harassed with unfamiliar words. Then suddenly, the whispering stopped.

There was a moment of utter and complete silence. Frodo was quite sure that his friends could hear his terrified heart pounding in his chest. He did not like Eryn Vorn one bit. Every fiber of his being told him to run- told everyone to run. But there was a silent knowing amongst them that if they ran they would fall in the cursed forest, never to be seen again. None of them dare risk the shame of dying before their quest truly begun.

Then slowly, the bearers of the frightful whispering emerged from the trees.

* * *

_Just to make things clear, Eryn Vorn and Minhiriath are Tolkien's creation, not mine. I didn't think it appropriate to spawn a random forest in Middle Earth, and I found Eryn Vorn to be the perfect place where the so called 'Ekwensu' live. Also, the history of Minhiriath is almost exactly true, I just tweaked a few parts to fit my story. _

_No reviews mean no new chapters. Thank you for reading :)_


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